Devil's Army

The Japanese troops in Huai'an were blocked in Huaizha Town by the 727th Regiment of the Sichuan Army and could not make any progress.

At this time, the air force of the First Army launched a fierce bombing and strafing attack on the main Japanese troops outside the town.

Lacking external support, the Japanese troops in Huaizha Town could not withstand the fierce attack of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 727th Regiment and withdrew from Huaizha Town.

This was the closest the Japanese army ever came to Huaizha Town. In the ensuing battle, the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 727th Regiment, with air support, withstood the fierce Japanese attack.

In order to complete the mission assigned by their commander on time, the defeated Japanese army prepared to launch another attack. However, at this moment, the Second Battalion rushed out of Huaizha Town and launched a fierce counterattack against them.

The Japanese troops were caught off guard and retreated repeatedly.

The Japanese attack in Huai'an was defeated by the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 727th Regiment, and the Japanese troops in Lianshui County suffered an even worse fate.

The Japanese troops in Lianshui fought their own men in the reeds of Lujiatan for several hours before being attacked by fire, suffering nearly half their casualties.

Now, while standing on the south bank of the Grand Canal in front of the ancient town of Hexia, they were attacked by the third and fourth battalions of the devilish army.

The ancient town of Hexia is surrounded by a dense network of waterways, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Located south of the Grand Canal, north of the ancient Huai River channel, east of Xiao Lake, and west of the Wusha River, the town is surrounded by water on all sides. The town is also traversed by the Cheng River, Luoliu River, Meigong River, and Si River, and is dotted with stone bridges such as Chenggong Bridge, Shaogong Bridge, and Guanghui Bridge.

This terrain, with its dense network of waterways, made it difficult for the Japanese mechanized forces to advance smoothly. Meanwhile, the 3rd and 4th Battalions of the 727th Regiment of the Sichuan Army used the waterways and bridges to launch a surprise attack on the Japanese.

The Japanese troops in Lianshui County also received a death order from their commander to take Huaiyin County within two days, and had no choice but to launch a fierce attack on the third and fourth battalions of the Sichuan Army, disregarding casualties.

Like Huaizha Town, Hexia Ancient Town is situated in a water-rich terrain, making it impossible to construct sturdy anti-artillery bunkers and trenches like in mountainous areas.

Under the relentless attacks of the Japanese army, disregarding casualties, the third and fourth battalions successively abandoned the outer defense line of the town and retreated into the town.

The streets and alleys of Hexia Ancient Town are narrow, and more than 80% of the houses in the town are brick and wood structures, with more than 70% dating back to before the Qing Dynasty. Stone slab pavement accounts for 90% of the total.

The narrow streets and alleys of Huzui Street, Guyi Street, and Huaxiang Lane prevented the Japanese army from launching large-scale military operations. However, the soldiers of the Third and Fourth Battalions used houses and walls for cover and sniping, carrying out flexible street fighting and inflicting heavy casualties on the Japanese army.

Moreover, the ancient town of Hexia is filled with overpasses, which not only facilitate observation and defense but also allow for mutual support.

The Japanese troops would be discovered before they even entered the town, which would allow for better preparation and deployment.

Moreover, each building had a gate at its base, which, under unified command, could be either closed to defend against the enemy or opened to lure them in, leaving the Japanese army completely disoriented.

The battle continued until evening. The Japanese troops in Lianshui County were badly defeated, but dared not retreat.

But then, taking advantage of the Japanese army's preoccupation with fighting off the enemy, Commander Zhang launched a night attack on them.

After fighting all day, the exhausted Japanese troops were suddenly attacked from all sides by the devilish troops. Unable to resist, they retreated towards the outside of the ancient town of Hexia under alternating cover.

The soldiers of the Third and Fourth Battalions pursued relentlessly and continued their fierce attack on the Japanese troops in Lianshui.

Under the fierce attack of the Sichuan Army, the Japanese troops in Lianshui were unable to maintain an orderly retreat and ended up in a massive rout.

Under the fierce resistance of the soldiers of the 727th Regiment of the 364th Brigade of the Sichuan Army, the Japanese troops in Huai'an County and Lianshui County were repelled one after another. However, the Japanese troops in Jiangsu Province were unwilling to follow in the footsteps of the Japanese troops in other cities and allowed the devilish troops to drive them out of Jiangsu Province step by step.